Ironing machine



H. C. CURTISS IRONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIb lll 1 Willi lll .v I I I l II /.v VENTO/e Dec. l l, 1928.

Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,970

. H. c. cuRTlss A IRONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

HOWARD CRTISS, OF NORWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR '.lO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A-CORPORATION OHIO.

IRONING MACHINE.

This invention relates to fiat work ironers for use in pressing materials, such as laundry work, the invention relating more particularly to means for causing the machine to operate, if desired, as a floating roll machine wherein the ironing rolls are caused toliloat between springs and bear upon the work with just the desired degree of pressure.

The customary ironing machine of this y general type, which is referred to herein as the standard, usually includes an ironing bod having concave grooves for receiving padded ironing rolls. These rolls are usually mounted in two side pressure bars so that they` may be moved down as a gang, with yielding ironing pressure upon the bed. In these machines, the downward pressure applied to the ironing bed or to Work thereon not only includes the spring pressure but also the weight of the rolls, with the result that materials being pressed do not receive the proper finish. In some cases buttons are broken and rough dry spots occur around the buttons and adjacent the edges or thickened portions of seams. These undesirable results are due, to a great extent, to an improper degree of ironing pressure and to the fact that after the machine has been working for a short time, the padding becomes hard and loses its life so that it does not permit the thickened portions of the garment to become properly imbedded therein and thereby do away with these rough dry spots, it being obvious that if the garment with its thickened portions would imbed itself into the padding of the roll, the roll would follow the uneven surface of the garment and produce a perfect finish.

In order to overcome the foregoing ditliculties and to increase the life of the padding, floating roll types of ironing machines have been devised, said machines being provided below the ironing roll with springs or other means for relieving the downward pressure of the ironing rolls to such an extent that they bear with the desired or ideal ironing edect upon the work. In one instance, the springs were arranged below the bearings of the rolls and a stationary part of the frame so located that when all spring pressure was removed from above, the rolls would be in contact with the ironing face of the bed at zero pressure. Thereafter, the desired' ironing pressure was created from above, such as by an upper spr1ng. This type of mechanism is more or less difficult to adjust and does not afford an edective opportunity for indicating thel condition of the padding and the ironing pressure being applied, factors which the operator should be aware of at all times and especially during the operation of the machine. With the foregoing in mind, the object of the presentinvention is to provide an improved flat work ironer in which the ironing rolls are movable as a gang into and out of operative relation with the bed, said rolls being so. mounted and arranged that they may be readily and accurately adjusted or positioned to produce the desired ironing effect; and 1n which ironer suitable mechanism is provided for indicating the condition of the padding of the ironing rolls and the amount of ironing pressure effective upon the work. Further features of the invention will be brought out in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one suitable embodiment of my invention, Fig. l is a side elevation of a fiat work ironing machine constructed according to my invention, parts being broken away to expose interior parts; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the controlling device for converting the machine from the iioatiiig roll type to the standard stype; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the mechanism associated about the bearings of each of the several rolls; Fig. 4 is a similar View with some of the partsshown in elevation; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section upon the line 5--5, Fig. 3; 6 is a horizontal section upon the line 6-6, Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7-7, Fig. 4.

In the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, l represents the main frame of the usual flat work ironer type, and provided with inclined upper rails 2, which are provided on their upper edges with stops 3 and bearing 'block guides 4 for the several ironing rolls. These bearing block guides are rectangular in form and open out at the top edge so that the bearing blocks may be readily inserted therein, as will later appear. In the bottom 'of each of these guides is a suitable pad or .projection 5 fora purpose which will later appear. The main frame l is provided with parellel perch rails 6, one on each side, adapted to extend in parallelism with the rails 2, as clearly indicated in Fig- 1.

Arranged upon the erches 6 is a heated ironing member or bed rovided with concave ironing faces 8. ese -concave ironing faces are directly below the bearing,

guides 4, so that when theironing rolls are supported therein their peripheries encrage in the cavities of the ironing member. lidably mounted in each of the bearing guides 4 is a bearing block 9, each of which is provided on its lower side with a pad or projection v10. Rotat-ably mounted in each pair of opposed bearing blocks 9 are trunnions 11 supporting an ironing roll 12, provided with padding 13 built upin the usual manner by winding upon said roll a layer of felt or other similar material. There are usually two convolutions of felt upon the roll and a cover cloth is applied to the padding by laying the edge of the cover cloth underthe end of the outer adding layer and then winding the cloth a out the padding thus formed.

Aboveeach end of the ironing rolls 12 is a presure bar 14, Uf-shape in cross section, as shown in Fig. 7, which bar carries the resilient roll supporting mechanism and the indicating mechanism, as will later appear. As the mechanism for each end of each roll is identical, a description of one will suffice for a l. s

Extending upwardly from each bearing block 9 is a threaded stud 15, on the upper end of which is threaded a push rod 16 which extends upwardly through the channel of the pressure bar 14 and into an upper housing 17 formed integral therewith. The top portion 18 of this housing is threaded to receive a hollow pressure screw 19, which in turn receives the u `per reduced end 20 of the push rod 16. Sai pressure screw 19 is provided with an operatin hand wheel 21, and with a lock nut 22 for olding the screw in any adjusted position. The reduction in the size of the push rod provides a shoulder 24 within the pressure bar 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, against which shoulder seats a thrust collar 25, pinned or otherwise suitably secured to rod portion 2O and'adapted to take the lower thrust of an ironing pressure spring 26. The upper end of said spring engages a thrust 'collar 27, keyed to rod portion 20, as at 28, and adapted to be engaged by pressure screw 19. The upper and lower thrust collars 27, 25 are respec# tively provided with laterally extending ears 29, 30 for attachment to the Apressure and padding indicating mechanism, as will appear.' It will thus be seen that pressure exerted upon the spring 26 will be transmitted through the fixe collar 25 to the ironing roll.

The foregoing mechanism, while differentin many details from the standard type of spring pressure mechanism, is nevertheless substantially similar in its action tothe usual spring mechanism utilized in the standard ty )e of flat work ironer.

lidably mounted upon the main portion of the push rod 16 below the shoulder 24 is another thrust collar 31 held from rotation on said rod b a key 32. This thrust collar 31is engage by the upper end of a pressure relieving s ring 33 surrounding the ward ressure of the upper spring 26 upon the ro l sufliciently to give the desired ironing effect.

-In order to enable the operator to relieve the machine of the action of the lower or far springs and operate the machine in the standard way, each springpressure mechanism is provided with means for rendering the lower spring 33 ineffective. This mechanism comprises in each instance a pair of levers 36 straddling the corresponding upper or near spring 26 and engaging extensions 37 projecting laterally from the thrust collar 3l, as clearly shown in Fi 6. These levers 36 are preferably formed integral with the hub 38 which is secured to a shaft 39 mounted in suitable bearings in the pressure bar 14, said shaft extending inwardly to one side of the pressure bar where it is provided with an operating lever 40. Said lever `is provided with a`bifurcated end adapted to be engaged by. a collar 41 arranged upon a longitudinally extending control-rod 42, suitably mounted in bearings 43 in the frame of the machine. On the frontend of each control rod 42, (it being understood thaty there is one control rod for each end of the ironing rolls), is threaded an operating handle 44 forlongitudinally moving said' rod, rotary movement thereof being prevented by the key 45 .as 'clearly shown in Fig. 2.` Toprevent accidental disengagement of rod 42 and handle 44, rsaid rod is provided on its outer end with a stop plate 46 which normally engages the inner wall of recess 47 in the central portion of the handle. When it is desired to hold the rod in its outer position,.handle 44 is screwed inwardly on rod 42 until stop plate 46 of the rod engages stop plate 48 of the handle, the latter stop plate covering recess 47 of the handle. It is obvious that when the rod 42 is moved outwardly or to the left, asvshown in Fig. 1, the levers 36 will depress the` several lower springs 33 and relieve all their upward pressure, or in other words, relieve the upper springs 26 of any oprestores the machine to what is termed the standard type of flat work ironer or one 1n which the ironing rolls bear upon the work with their own weight plus any pressure of the upper springs 26.

Arranged within pressure bar 14 and between thrust collars 25 and 27 is suitable pressure and padding indicating mechanism. Said mechanism comprises a link 48 pivotally mounted in ear 29 of collar 27 and carrying at its lower end a pin 49 pivotally connected to a link 50, the low-er end of which is pivoted on a screw 51 in an arm 52 of a lever pivoted at 53, Fig. 6, to the eye 30 of collar 25. Said lever is provided with an offset arm 54 extending to one side and pivoted to a screw 55- ycompressing the upper spring 26, the toggle-s formed by the links 48 and 50 will break to the right, as shown in Fig. 3. This toggle effect is utilized for indicating the degree of pressure exerted by the upper spring upon the ironing roll, as will more fully appear. The said rocking movement of the lever is utilized through the downward movement of the collar 25 to vary the padding indication accompanying the change in the degrees in pressure as the ironing roll gets accordingly smaller due to the compacting of the padding 18. The pressure indication is accomplished by means of a sliding bar 56 arranged to slide in a suitable guide 57 in the housing 17, said bar being held in place b-y an indication plate 58 secured upon the side face of guide member 57 by screws 59 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This plate 58 carries the legends High, Normal and Low arranged from right to left. The inner end of said bar is T-shaped and provided with a slot 60 to receive the pin 49, while the other lend of the bar is provided with an indicating point 61 cooperating with graduations on a pressure indicating plate 62 secured at the end of the housing 17. It is clear that as the hand wheel 21 is manipulated Vand the pressure of the spring 26 varied, the

bar 56 will indicate the pressure being applied through the roll to the work.

The padding indicator comprises a finger 63 which is an angular extension of the lever arm 52 and extends up in front of the plate 58 so that it may move over the face thereof and cooperate with lthe legends High, Normal and Low to indicate the condition of the padding. i

In machines of the standard flat work ironer type, the pressurebars 14 are moved up and down to carry the ironing rolls into and'out of cooperation with the bed by suitable mechanism, the typeherein shown for each bar comprising rods 64 and 65, each provided with an integral strap 66 engaging an eccentric 67 arranged on shafts 68 and 69. These shafts are provided with worm wheels 70 driven by worms 71 u'pon a shaft 7 2 suitably geared to a hand wheel 7 3 or any other source of power. This mechanism, while old and well known, properly forms a part of the organization of this case in that when the eccentrics are downward, as shown in Fig. 1,

and the ironing rolls are in the critical or best ironing condition7 as will later appear, the bars 14 rest upon the stops 3. In fact, it is important that the bars should rest upon these stops before the eccent-rics have exerted their entire downward movement, as will clearly appear from the description of the operation of the floating roll principle involved in this mechanism and the original adjustment of the ironing rolls in setting up the machine.

` In order to appreciate the present mechanism, it is important to have a clear understanding of the peculiarities of padding. It has already been stated that the ironing rolls are padded by wrapping a layer of felt or other similar material about the roll in a plurality of convolutions and covering this inner padding structure with an outer cover cloth also Wound upon the roll.. When a roll is freshly padded, it is obviously much larger than when it has been run for a short length of time, because the rolls are driven in a direction that causes the padding to wrap itself thereupon. After a short period of time, depending upon the pressure on the padding, the thickness of the padding will change but slightly throughout a relatively long continuous period of use because there is an inherent tendency in the padding to unwrap somewhat similar to the action of a clock spring and when the traction between the ironing roll and the ironing bed resulting from the pressure exerted upon the roll is equal to or less than the wrapping tendency, then the roll will tend to slip without further appreciable wrapping. This condition is what may be termed the critical or best condition of the ironing roll. At this particular time it is relatively soft and pliable and permits the materials to imbed themselves in it, thereby doing away with rough-dry spots along the edges of the thickened portion and producing a desirable finish upon the goods. In the presence of heat, moisture and pressure, however, the roll continues to wrap or pack slightly and become hard, or in other words, to pass from this desirable Normal condition to the und rsirable Low padding condition. It is also clear that as the padding compacts and reduces in thickness, the pressure drops accordingly. The inter-connection of the padding indicator and the pressure indicator therefore serves to produce the indications with the relative change present.

`With the foregoinfr in mind, the machine is set up and operated in the following manner:

If the machine be a new one, the rolls are left unpadded and a shim 74 is inserted between the projections 5 and 10, Fig. 3, so that the bearing is supported at a definite height. This position is the one which the bearings of each roll should assume when the padding is normal or when it has been compacted to the best condition. When the shim is in place, the pressure is removed from the upper spring 26 by unscrewing the pressure screw 19. The adjusting nut 34 in web 23 of the pressure bar 14 is then adjusted until the padding indicator arm 63 stands at Normal, as shown in Fig. 3, the operator being sure, however, that the lowering mechanism for the pressure bar 14 is in a position such that the bar engages the stops or supports 3. When in this position, the lower springs 33 are so su ported by members 3 that the ironing roll, if normally padded will be in contact with the ironing face of the bed 7 at substantially zero or no pressure. The operator then adjusts the pressure screw 19 until the desired pressure is brought to bear upon the ironing roll through the upper springs 26. When this is done the bars 14 ma be raised and the rolls padded with new pa ding. If the machine is already in use, the shim 74 need not be used unless the nut 34 has moved out of adjustment or the lower springs 33 have lost their tension. After the adjustments have beenv made, the shims 74 are removed. In this' position, the padded roll is in Normal condition', that is, will bear upon the bed with the desired ironing pressure, exerted by the upper springs 26 and without the added weight of the ironing roll. If the padding is renewed, the same adjustment is retained, but the indicator will stand at High padding when under pressure and will quickly move down to Normal over a period of a few hours, whereas, it will remain at Normah and move from that point to Low after many days or weeks. By reason of the inter-connection of the padding indicator and the pressure indicator, the pressure will drop as the padding is compacted and the indicators will serve to indicate this condition, so that it may be readily corrected by adjustment of the -hand screws 19.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll, a supporting member, yielding means carried thereby for supporting the roll, whereby the roll and said supporting member are relatively adjustable, means on said supporting member for producing variable yielding pressure of the roll toward the bed, and means governed by the relative adj ustment between the roll and said supporting member for indicating 'the amount of compression ofthe padding.

'2. In an ironing machine', abcd, a added ironing roll, an adjustable support or said roll, means on said support or producin variable yielding pressure of the roll towar the bed, and means actuated by said pressure producing means for indicating the pressure upon the work.

3. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll,means for exerting ironing pressure u on said roll to cause it to engage the bed with ironing pressure, a pressure indicator, a padding condition indicator, and means whereby a change in either the padding or pressure conditionsrof said roll roduces a change in the indications of bot of said indicators.

4. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll, means for exerting ironing pressure u on said roll to cause'it to engage the bed with ironing pressure, a pressure indicator, a padding condition indicator, and means connecting said indicators whereby a change in the padding condition of said roll produces a change in the indication of pressure effective upon the work.

5. In an ironing machine, a bed, a plurality of padded ironing rolls, opposed yielding devices for supporting said rolls to cause them to float with the desired ironing pressure upon the work, means for indicating the pressure and the padding conditions of said rolls, and means connecting said indicating devices whereby a change in the padding condition produces a change in the indication of the pressure condition of said rolls.

6. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll, means for supporting said roll in co-operative relation with the bed, means for adjusting said roll supporting means with respect to the bed and for establishing a predetermined definite relation therebetween, means carried by said roll supporting means for yieldiiigly supporting the roll in said relation at zero pressure upon the bed when without pressure from above, means for exerting ironing pressure upon said roll, and means arranged when said roll supporting means is in said relation to at all times indicate the padding condition of said roll.

7. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll, 4means for supporting said roll in (3o-operative relation with the bed, means for adjusting said roll-supporting means with respect to the bed and for establishing a predetermined definite relation therebetween, means carried by said roll supporting means for yieldingly supporting the roll in said relation at zero pressure upon the bed when without pressure from above, means for exerting ironing pressure upon said roll, and means connected to said roll and said roll supporting means and said pressure exerting means for indicating the pressure upon and the padding condition of said ironing roll.'

8. In an ironing machine, abed, a pluralit; of ironing rolls, supporting means for all of said rolls movable as a unit toward and from the bed, means for adjusting said roll supporting means with respect to the bed and for establishing a predetermined relation therebetween, means carried by said roll supporting means for yieldingly'supporting said rolls at zero pressure upon the bed when without pressure from above, adjustable means for each roll for exerting variable ironing pressure upon it and separate pressure indicating mechanisms, one for each of said rolls, each of said mechanisms being operatively connected to its roll andits adjustable pressure producing means, whereby each operates independently of the others and is unaffected by adjustment of said supporting means.

9. In an ironing machine, a bed, an ironing roll, means for supporting said roll in co-operative relation with the bed, means for positioning said roll supporting means in a predetermined relation with respect to thebed, means carried by said roll supporting means for yieldingly supporting the roll at zero pressure upon the bed when without pressure from above, means for exerting ironing pressure upon said roll, and means for rendering ineffective said yielding supportin means.

10. In an ironing machine, a be a plurality of padded ironing rolls, supporting means for all of said rolls and movable as a unit toward and from the bed, means for positioning said roll supporting means in a predetermined relation with respect to the bed,

means carried by said roll supporting means for yieldingly sustaining saidrolls and relieving the work of the weight of the rolls, means for exerting ironing pressure upon said rolls, and a single means for rendering ineffective said yielding sustaining means for said rolls.

11. In an ironing machine, a bed, an ironing roll, means for supporting and guiding said roll for a iioating roll type of machine wherein the ironing roll is supported between opposed yielding pressures, and means for converting said machine into a type wherein the pressure opposing the ironing pressure is relieved.

12. In an ironing machine, a bed, a padded ironing roll, and means operatively associated with said roll for indicating its padded condition.

13. An ironingmachine, comprising a bed, a padded ironing roll, a movable member adjustable toward and from saidA bed and yieldably supporting said roll, and means operatively associated with both said roll and member for at all times indicating the padding condition thereof.

14. An ironing machine, comprlsing an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, supporting means for said roll, means for movingsaid roll supporting means toward and from said bed means for determining and fixing a definite position of said roll supporting means relative to the bed in which position the roll on said supporting means Acontacts with the bed but with no pressure thereon when all the ironing pressure hereafter referred to is removed, and

lmeans contacts with the bed but with no pressure thereon when all the ironing pressure hereafter' referred to is removed, and

means effective upon said roll for producing liorrliiing pressure between said roll and the 16'. 'An ironing machine, comprising an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, means for moving said roll toward and from said bed, supporting means for said rollhcarried by and movable with said roll moving means, means for determining and fixing a definite position of said roll supporting means relative to the bed in which position the roll on said supporting means contacts with the bed but with no pressure thereon when all the ironing pressure hereafter referred to is removed, and means effective upon said roll for producing ironing pressure between said roll and the bed.

17. An ironing machine comprising an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, means for moving said roll toward and from said bed, supporting means for said roll movable with said roll moving means and adjustable relative thereto, means for determining and fixing a definite position of said roll supporting means relative to the bed in which position the roll on said supporting means contacts with the bed but with no pressure thereon when all the ironing pressure hereafter referred to is removed, and means effective upon said roll for producing ironing pressure between said roll and the bed.

18. An ironing machine, comprisin an ironing bed, a plurality of ironing rol s eooperating with said bed, a single member common to all of said rolls and adapted when actuated to move said rolls toward and from said bed, means for actuating said member, supporting means for each of said rolls movable with said member, means for determining and fixing a definite position of said roll supporting means relative to the bed in which position the rolls on said supporting means contact with the bed but with no pressure thereon when all the ironing pressure hereafter referred to is removed, and means effective upon each roll for producing ironin pressure between said roll and the bed, sai series of pressure roducing means being individually adjusta le.

19. An ironing machine, comprising a frame an ironing bed carried thereby, an ironing rollcoo erating with said bed, means for moving sai roll toward and from said bed, sup orting means for said roll movable with said) roll movin means means forming a rigid part of sai frame or determining and fixing a definite position of said supporting means relative to the bed in which position the roll .on said supporting means contacts with the bed but withno pressure thereon when all of the ironing pressure hereafter referred to is removed, and means eiective upon said roll for producing ironing pressure between said roll and the bed.

20. An ironing machine, comprising an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, a rod connected to said roll and extending to one side of its axis, and a pair of yielding means effective upon said rod, one of said ielding meals being adapted to support at east a part of the weight of said roll and the other yielding means being adapted to produce ironing pressure between said bed an said roll.

21. In an ironing machine, an ironin bed, an ironing roll cooperating. with said ed, a rod connected to said roll and extending to one side of its axis, and near and far ieldin means effective upon said rod, sai near ilding means being adapted to support at east a art of the welghtof said roll and said far yie ding means being adapted to produce ironing pressure between said bed and said roll.

22. In an ironing machine, an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, a rod connected to said roll and extending to one side of its axis, a pair of yielding means surrounding said rod, and abutment means carried b said yiel ing means and adapted to be engaged b both, one of said yielding means being a apted to support at least a part of the weight of said roll and the other yielding means being adapted to produce ironing pressure between said bed and said roll.

23. In an ironing machine, an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said bed, a rod connected to said roll and extending to said rod and arranged between neeaavo one side of its axis, a pair of ielding means surrounding said rod, one o! said yielding means being adapted to support at least a part of thelweight of said roll and the other yielding means being adapted to produce ironing pressure between said bed and said roll, abutment means carried by said rod and arranged between said yielding means and adapted toy be engaged by the adjacent ends thereof, and two additional abutment means adjustably associated with said rod and adapted to be engaged by the other ends of said yielding means.

24. In an ironing machine, an ironin bed, an ironing roll cooperating with said a member adapted when actuated to move said roll toward and from said bed, means for actuatingsaid member, a rod secured to said roll and extending to one side of its axis, al pair of yieldinor means surrounding said rod, one of said yieblding means being adapted to support at least a part of the weight of said roll and the other yielding means being adapted to produce ironing pressure `between said bed and said roll, abutmentvmeans carried by said rod and arranged between-said pair of yielding means and adapted to be engaged by the ad] acent ends thereof, and two additlonal abutment means adjustably carried by said roll moving member and associated with said rod and adapted to be engaged by the other ends of said pair of yieldlng means.

25. In an ironing machine, an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating therewith, yielding means adapted to support at least a part of the weight of said roll, means for producing ironing pressure between said roll and said bed, and means for rendering said yielding means ineffective.

26. In an ironing machine, an ironing bed, an ironing roll cooperating therewith, means for moving said roll toward and from said bed, yielding means movable with said roll moving means and ada ted to support at lleast a part of the weig t of said roll, and

means for rendering said yielding means ineffective.

27. In an ironing machine, an ironing bed, a plurality of ironing rolls cooperating therewith, means for each roll adapted to support at least a part of the weight of said roll,means for producing ironin pressure between said rolls and said bed, an a single means for rendering said roll suplportin means ineffective.

In testimosy w ereof hereby aix my signature.

HOWARD C. CURTISS. 

